Heating and cooling apparatus

ABSTRACT

A heating and cooling apparatus includes a compressor for pumping a heat medium through a tubing device, a primary heat exchanger coupled to the compressor, a control device coupled to the primary heat exchanger and coupled to a intermediate heat exchanger to control the intermediate heat exchanger either to dissipate heat or to absorb heat. Another control device is coupled to the intermediate heat exchanger and coupled to the compressor and a secondary heat exchanger, to control the heat medium from the intermediate heat exchanger either to flow through the secondary heat exchanger or to directly flow into the compressor without flowing through the secondary heat exchanger.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a heating and cooling apparatus, and more particularly to a heating and cooling apparatus having a changeable or control device for changing the flowing of the medium, to generate heat for winter times, and to generate cold air or the like for summer times.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical air conditioning facilities comprise a compressor for pumping air or heat medium through an air flowing manifold, and one or more heat exchangers and one or more valves also disposed or coupled in the air flowing manifold, for generating cooling air and for air conditioning purposes. However, normally, the typical air conditioning facilities may be used for generating cooling air only, and are thus suitable for being used in summer times only, but may not be used in winter times.

The typical heaters or other heating facilities are required to be energized by electric energy, and are provided for generating heat energy to warm the house buildings. However, the typical heaters or other heating facilities are suitable for being used in winter times only, but may not be used in summer times.

The other typical air conditioning facilities may comprise a heating and cooling apparatus for generating either hot air or cold air for different uses. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,838 to Tressler comprises a typical refrigeration circuit for air conditioning purposes, and further comprises a hot water apparatus for generating heated water.

However, the additional hot water apparatus is further required to be provided and includes a pump and a solar panel or a water heater for heating the water, such that additional piping apparatuses are required to be provided and assembled and coupled to the typical refrigeration circuit, and such that the assembling procedures for the typical heating and cooling apparatuses may be complicated, and such that the manufacturing cost for the typical heating and cooling apparatuses may be greatly increased.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional heating and cooling apparatuses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a heating and cooling apparatus including a changeable or control device for changing the flowing of the medium, to generate heat for winter times, and to generate cold air or the like for air conditioning purposes during summer times.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a heating and cooling apparatus comprising a compressor for pumping a heat medium through a tubing device, a first heat exchanger coupled to the compressor, for receiving compressed heat medium from the compressor, for outputting heat, a first control device coupled to the first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger coupled to the first control device, and arranged to have the first control device coupled between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, the first control device being provided to control the second heat exchanger either to dissipate heat or to absorb heat, a second control device coupled to the second heat exchanger and coupled to the compressor, and a third heat exchanger coupled to the second control device, and coupled to the compressor, for outputting cold. The second control device is provided to control the heat medium from the second heat exchanger either to flow through the third heat exchanger or to directly flow into the compressor without flowing through the third heat exchanger.

The first control device includes a flow control valve and a guide tube coupled in parallel to each other, in order to control the second heat exchanger either to dissipate the heat or to absorb the heat.

The second heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanging member and a second heat exchanging member coupled in series and coupled to the flow control valve and the guide tube of the first control device respectively, for dissipating the heat or for absorbing the heat.

The second heat exchanger includes a throttle device coupled between the first heat exchanging member and the second heat exchanging member.

The second control device includes a first flow control valve and a second flow control valve coupled in parallel to each other, and coupled to the third heat exchanger and the compressor respectively, in order to control the heat medium either to flow through the third heat exchanger or to directly flow into the compressor. The second control device includes a throttle device coupled in series to the first flow control valve.

An accumulating device may further be provided and coupled between the compressor and the first heat exchanger.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of a heating and cooling apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the members for the heating and cooling apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the operation of the heating and cooling apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram similar to FIGS. 2, 3, illustrating the other operation of the heating and cooling apparatus; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagrams similar to FIGS. 2-4, illustrating the other arrangement of the heating and cooling apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a heating and cooling apparatus 10 in accordance with the present invention may comprise a flowing or tubing device 11 having a heat medium flowing through the tubing device 11, and may also comprise a compressor 12 for pumping the heat medium through the tubing device 11.

The heating and cooling apparatus 10 further includes a primary or a first heat exchanging device or a heat exchanger 13 coupled to the compressor 12, for receiving the compressed medium from the compressor 12. The first heat exchanger 13 may be used for outputting heat, or for generating an output heat medium 14, such as hot water, hot air, or the like.

A first control device 20 is coupled to the first heat exchanger 13, and then coupled to an intermediate or a second heat exchanger 30, and arranged to have the first control device 20 coupled between the first heat exchanger 13 and the second heat exchanger 30 (FIG. 1). The first control device 20 includes a flow control valve 21 and a guide tube 22 coupled in parallel to each other (FIGS. 2-5), in order to control or to actuate the second heat exchanger 30 to either dissipate the heat (FIGS. 3, 4), or to absorb the heat (FIG. 3).

The second heat exchanger 30 is then coupled to another or a second control device 40, and then coupled to a secondary or a third heat exchanger 50 and the compressor 12, and may include two heat exchanging members 31, 32 coupled in series and coupled to the flow control valve 21 and the guide tube 22 respectively, and may include a throttle device 33, such as a capillary tube, an expansion valve or the like, coupled between the heat exchanging members 31, 32.

The second control device 40 includes another throttle device 41, such as a capillary tube, an expansion valve or the like, and a flow control valve 42 coupled in series with each other, and coupled between the second heat exchanger 30 and the third heat exchanger 50, such as coupled between the first heat exchanging members 31 of the second heat exchanger 30 and the third heat exchanger 50, for allowing the third heat exchanger 50 to output cold, or to generate an output cold medium 51 (FIG. 4), such as cold water, cold air, or the like.

The second control device 40 further includes another flow control valve 43 coupled in parallel to the flow control valve 42 and coupled between the first heat exchanging members 31 of the second heat exchanger 30 and the compressor 12, in order to control or to actuate the heat medium to directly flow into the compressor 12 when the flow control valve 43 is opened (FIG. 3), for example. The heat medium may be controlled or guided to flow into the third heat exchanger 50 when the flow control valve 42 is opened and when the other flow control valve 43 is closed or switched off (FIG. 4). The third heat exchanger 50 is also coupled to the compressor 12, to form an enclosed or endless flowing circuit or cycle.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 3, during the winter times, the compressor 12 may pump the heat medium through the tubing device 11 and into the first heat exchanger 13, for outputting heat, or for generating an output heat medium 14, such as hot water, hot air, or the like. In addition, during the winter times, the flow control valve 21 of the first control device 20 is closed or is shut off, to control the heat medium to flow through the guide tube 22 of the first control device 20, and then to flow into the second heat exchanging members 32 of the second heat exchanger 30, for heat dissipating purposes.

The heat medium may then flow through the throttle device 33 and then may flow into the first heat exchanging members 31 of the second heat exchanger 30 for expansion or for heat absorbing purposes, and then may flow into the second control device 40. The flow control valve 42 of the second control device 40 is closed or is shut off during the winter times, and the other flow control valve 43 of the second control device 40 is opened, to allow the heat medium to directly flow into the compressor 12, in order to form an enclosed or endless flowing circuit or cycle.

It is to be noted that the heat medium may be guided to flow into the second heat exchanging members 32 of the second heat exchanger 30, for heat dissipating purposes, and may then flow through the throttle device 33 and then may flow into the first heat exchanging members 31 of the second heat exchanger 30 for heat absorbing purposes, and thus may prevent the second heat exchanger 30 from absorbing too much heat, and thus may reduce the burden of the compressor 12. In this condition, the heat medium may be prevented from flowing through the third heat exchanger 50, and thus may prevent further heat loss via the third heat exchanger 50.

On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 4, during the summer times, the flow control valve 21 of the first control device 20 is opened, and the flow control valve 42 of the second control device 40 is also opened, but the other flow control valve 43 of the second control device 40 is closed or is shut off. The flow control valve 21 of the first control device 20 is opened to allow and to control the heat medium to directly flow through the flow control valve 21 of the first control device 20, and then to cause the first heat exchanging members 31 of the second heat exchanger 30 to dissipate the heat out to such as the outside of the house buildings, for example.

The other flow control valve 43 of the second control device 40 is closed in this condition, but the flow control valve 42 of the second control device 40 is opened, to allow the heat medium to flow through the third heat exchanger 50 before flowing through the compressor 12. The third heat exchanger 50 may thus be used for outputting or for generating an output cold medium 51, such as cold water, cold air, or the like, and for such as air conditioning purposes.

It is to be noted that the typical air conditioning facilities or the typical heating and cooling apparatuses failed to provide a first control device 20 to actuate the second heat exchanger 30 to either dissipate the heat, and/or to absorb the heat, and also failed to provide a second control device 40 to actuate the heat medium either to flow through the third heat exchanger 50, or to directly flow into the compressor 12, and thus to allow the third heat exchanger 50 to output or to generate an output cold medium 51.

Selectively, as shown in FIG. 5, an accumulator or accumulating device 60 may further be provided and coupled between the compressor 12 and the first heat exchanger 13, for accumulating or collecting the heat medium, and then for supplying pressurized heat medium to the first heat exchanger 13.

Accordingly, the heating and cooling apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a changeable or control device for changing the flowing of the heat medium, to generate heat for warming the house building during the winter times, or to generate cold air or the like for air conditioning purposes during the summer times.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A heating and cooling apparatus comprising: a compressor for pumping a heat medium through a tubing device, a first heat exchanger coupled to said compressor, for receiving compressed heat medium from said compressor, for outputting heat, a first control device coupled to said first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger coupled to said first control device, and arranged to have said first control device coupled between said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger, said first control device being provided to control said second heat exchanger either to dissipate heat or to absorb heat, a second control device coupled to said second heat exchanger and coupled to said compressor, and a third heat exchanger coupled to said second control device, and coupled to said compressor, for outputting cold, said second control device being provided to control the heat medium from said second heat exchanger either to flow through said third heat exchanger or to directly flow into said compressor without flowing through said third heat exchanger.
 2. The heating and cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first control device includes a flow control valve and a guide tube coupled in parallel to each other, in order to control said second heat exchanger either to dissipate the heat or to absorb the heat.
 3. The heating and cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanging member and a second heat exchanging member coupled in series and coupled to said flow control valve and said guide tube of said first control device respectively, for dissipating the heat or for absorbing the heat.
 4. The heating and cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second heat exchanger includes a throttle device coupled between said first heat exchanging member and said second heat exchanging member.
 5. The heating and cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second control device includes a first flow control valve and a second flow control valve coupled in parallel to each other, and coupled to said third heat exchanger and said compressor respectively, in order to control the heat medium either to flow through said third heat exchanger or to directly flow into said compressor.
 6. The heating and cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second control device includes a throttle device coupled in series to said first flow control valve.
 7. The heating and cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an accumulating device coupled between said compressor and said first heat exchanger. 